Automatic grain-binder.



No. 853,432. PATENTED MAY 14. 1907..

' J. A. BEUKETT'.-

AUTOMATIO GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26, i907.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES .Z'N YEN'T'DR No. 853,482. 'PATENTED MAY14, 1907.

J. A. BEGKETT. AUTOMATIC GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION I'ILBD PER. 25, 1997.

8 BEBETS-IHEET 2.

:53 INYENTDR N #31425 A. BEGKEZ'T- THE NORRIS PETERS co., wllsuuvarmv, D. c.

No. 853,432. I PA-TENTBD MAY 1 1907-.

J. A. BECKBTT.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN BIN-DER Z SBHEETBSHEET 3.

INYENTUR,

APPLIUATION FILED T11R25. 1907.

WILZWESSEE.

c p x m m n u w w u m P u u D R I m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BECKETT, OF HOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER A. WOOD MOWING AND REAPING MACHINE COMPANY, OF I-IOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-BINDER.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Anplication filed February 25, 1907. Serial No. 359,173.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. BEOKETT, of the village of Hoosick Falls, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Grain-Binders, of which invention the following description, in connection with the accompanying three sheets of drawings, constitute a specification.

This invention relates to that class of ma chines employed in cutting grain and binding the same into bundles, and is specially adapted for use in connection with that class of harvesters commonly known as headers, [5 which cut a very wide swath, but cut the straw of a length only sufficient to conveniently handle in the binding process.

Among the objects sought to be accomplished by this invention is to simplify the construction and operation of the machine and to provide means whereby the packer arms may be brought to a step during the binding of a bundle at a predetermined position beneath the binding deck, so that their 2 5 points shallnot protrude above the deck or in any way obstruct the inflow of the cut crop as it is delivered by the elevator upon the deck pending the operation of needle and knotter, also to dispense with all gearing and the shafting by which it is supported and operated between the driving shaft and the crank shaft which operates the packing arms. Hitherto where such shafting and gears with the appliances necessary to oper- 3 5 ate them have been employed. to effect the coupling and uncoupling of the driving shaft with the packer crank shaft, the construction has necessarily been complex and more or less intricate, expensive to build, uncertain 0 in operation in many respects, and. the gearing has been liable to breakage due to excessive strains put on it in throwing it into and out of action, as well as to rapid destruction from excessive wear and tear in 5 regular use. Such shafting and gears have been dispensed with. in this machine by arranging the driving shaft and the crank shaft in co-axial alinement in relation to each other, and incidental to such co-axial feature one of these shafts has been made hollow so as to receive the end. of the other and thus forms a bearing for such end. To this extent the arrangement has not only been coaxial but concentric. With this design a device is interposed. between the two shafts for coupling and uncoupling them which is in the nature of a clutch having a driving member and a driven member between which is a switch dog that by external means can be made to throw a connecting link or element intoposition to eifect or to destroy engagement between the two clutch members. These clutch devices are so designed that when operated to stop rotation of the packer shaft the cranks will come to rest when the upper points of the packer arms are both be low the deck and this will be a positive step with the crank shaft locked against backward or recoil movement and in a definite position. Minor improvements are embodied in the invention which will appear in the description and will be pointed out in the claims.

The drawings fully disclose the invention as applied to a well known type of grain binder, in which Figure 1 shows a rear end elevation of such a binder with my improvements embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a rear eievation of the clutch mechanism and its cooperative parts which co-act in stopping and starting the packing arms. Fig. 3 is a plan of a binder with this invention embodied therein, the knot-tying mechanism being omitted. Fig.

4 is a vertical longitudinai section taken on the plane of the axis of the said driving shaft, showing the fast and loose clutch members of the device for driving the packers and also for driving the knotter shaft. Fig. 5 is a plan detail of the tripping device which puts the packers out of action. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the tripping device and its connections for throwing into action knotter shaft as they appear with the needle arm at the iimit of its fore-stroke as in the act of tying a knot and the packers at rest below the deck. Fig. 7 shows how the connection for driving the knotter shaft is affected following the action of the knotting tripper. shows how the packers are stopped. foilowing the action of the packing trirmcr. Fig. 9 shows provisions for holding the packer shaft and packers locked to prevent vibration, rccoil and noise of the needle arm.

In this machine important advantages result from the fact that the packer driving crank revolves about the same axis as the Fig. 8

' ratchet disk 44 is main driving shaft. Otherwise expressed, their relative arrangement is either co-axial or concentric, that is, if two shafts are employed their axes are in the same line or end to end in tandem relation to each other with a clutch between them or if concentric, one revolves inside the other, in which latter case, there is but one axis of revolution for both driving shaft and crank shaft, the latter hav ing a hollow hub which constitutes a sleeve that reciprocates ab out the driving shaft be tween which there is a disengageable clutch connection.

The apparatus is shown mounted on a binder frame composed of the cross beams 1, 2 and 3 in connection with the binder frame 10, 11 and 12 and the girth 4 which ties the beams 2 and 3. This frame is of a type in common use. It slides on a rail 6, of the harvester frame shown in cross-section in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Upon the beams of the frame are mounted the three journal boxes 15, 79 and 83, in axial line. The packer crank shaft 84 is journaled in the bearings 79 and 83 as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 and has a long, hollow journal hub 80, which rests in bearing 79 and this hollow hub receives and forms a bearing for one end of the main driving shaft 13. The other or rear end of this shaft rests in bearing 15. This shaft is square where it takes on the driving sprocket wheel 14, Fig. 3, but elsewhere it is fitted in the usual way to take on the driving and driven members of the clutch through which motion is communicated to the packing devices.

The packing deoices.These devices embrace among other things, two packer arms 49 and 49, which are j ournaled on the crank wrists 48 and 50 of the packer crank. The lower ends of these arms are pivoted to the ends of the swinging links 51 and 52 which in turn are hung from the spindle 53, Fig. 3. On the sleeve hub 80 of the packer crank a cast integral therewith of which a face view appears in Figs. 2 and 8. To the face of this disk two dogs, 62 and 62 are pivoted on the pins 45. These do s are connected by a tie link 63 through whic any movement imparted to one dog is communicated to the other. A sprin 72 has one end attached to a pin t, of the dis and the other end is connected with one of the dogs 62 as at a. The function of this s ring is to throw the point it, toward the s eeve 80, or from the position shown in Fig' 8, to that seen in Fig. 2. Each of these dogs has an offset facet g, which when the spring 72 throws the heels of the dogs inwardly will be thrown outwardly into the ath of a small driving roller 43 which is carrie on the inside of the packer driving disk 41. Disk 41 is shrouded to protect the dogs and roller and is attached to-the driving shaft 13 by the pin r, so that it must revolve therewith. Thus when the dogs are thrown into the position seen in Fig.

by the operation 2, a clutch en gagement follows between the driving disk 41 and the ratchet disk 44 of the packer crank hub 80 whereby the packers are set in motion, and this motion can be arrested by throwing the dogs outwardly which will permit the driving roller 43 to pass outside the facets g, g, 'as seen in Fig. 8. The means for arrestin the packing movements will be de scribed urther on. In gathering and packingthe straw for a bundle the packer arms passing through slits in the deck collect and force the straw forward against the com pressing arm 81 and under the guard 8 in the usual manner. As the functions of these parts are well understood by makers and users of such machines, they will not be further described.

T he binder driving mechanism-This mechanism consists of the bevel gear20 which is revolubly mounted on the driving shaft 13, and the binder driving disk 17. To this disk two driving rollers 1.8, 18, are attached which co-operate with an offset facet f, of the clutchdog which is pivoted on stud 19 of the gear 20. This dog is like the dogs on the disk 44 and is controlled by spring 71 which is attached to the gear at 1, and to the dog at m. Its normal force is exerted to throw the heel of the dog toward the hub of the gear 20 as shown in Fig. 7. When the dog is thrown into this relation with the gear the offset driving facet f, will lie in the path of the driving rollers 18, 18, so that when a clutch engagement between the disk and gear is established, shaft 13 will drive the gear 21 through gear 20 which at other times remains inert on the driving shaft. Motion is imparted to the knotting devices from the main shaft 13 through the bevel gears 20 and 21, shaft 22, bevel pinion 23, and bevel gear 24 which is attached to the knotter shaft 25, as shown in Fig. 3. N0 knotter is shown as it forms no part of this invention, as it may be used in connection with any of the standard types, all of which are well understood by those versed in the use of grain binders.

The binding tripper.The binding mechanism in this mac line is thrown into action projects from one end of a trip shaft 58 journaled in hearings on the main frame, and which plays vertically through a slot in the deck 5. While the packing of the bundle is progressing, this tripper lever protrudes above the deck immediately under the bundle, and as the bundle increases in volume and density its size and weight press the lever down, thus rolling shaft 58. The opposite end of this shaft is cranked as at 59, and through crank-arm adjnstin bait 60 passes, which is held in osition by a jam nut. Bolt 60 comes direct y under a blocking arm-61 which is pivoted on shaft 29, and rotation of the trip s end of this blocking arm. When this arm is of a tripper lever 57 which aft 58 will raise the free I dropped its end e, will-fall in the path of the facet of the dog as it is carried around by the disk 17, and when disk 17 carries the dog around and its facet j, contacts with the end e, of the blocking arm, the dog will turn on its pivot 19 which will swing the facet f, out of the orbit of the driving rollers 18, 18, and thereby break the driving connection with the binding apparatus.

The needle arm and its c0nnecti0na-The needle arm shaft 29 is journaled in bearings on the main frame and carries the needle arm 30 at one end and at the other a crank 28. This crank is connected by a pitman 27 with the wrist-pin 26 on the gear 24 on the knotter shaft 25. The parts are so proportioned that a complete revolution of gear 24 will only effect a reciprocation of crank 28 and the needle arm through an arc of about onethird of a circle, or from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 6, and back again to the first osition. This movement constitutes the e' ective stroke of the needle in connection with the operation of the knotter in tying a knot in the binding'cord. A threaded tension rod 76 is connected with crank 28 at 0, and passing through a lip w, of the blocking lever 61 takes on the expansive spring 77, and the adjusting hand nut 78 by which the tension of the spring can be regulated. The tension of this spring gages the degree of resistance to be offered the packers in packing a bundle which must be overcome before the binding mechanism can be started. This spring also aids in holding the blocking lever down to its proper position so that its end e, will be properly presented to the end 7', of the dog 70 as it is carried around by the gear 20. This position 1s accurately determined by a lug p, on the arm 60 which contacts with a companion lug g, on the main frame as seen at Fig. 1. By screwing down the hand nut 7 8 the tension of spring 76 will be increased, and to overcome this tension the bundle must be corresp ondinglyincreased in density and bulk before the tripper lever 57 will yield sufficiently for the crank 59 to raise the blocking lever 60 and thereby start the binder.

The pacherarresting nieehanism.The mechanism for suspending the action of the packers during the binding process and the discharge of the bundle, consists of the needle arm having the bracket 31 which projects from the hub thereof on which is pivoted a friction roller 32 with which the end b, of the arm 33 co-operates. This arm projects from the rockshaft 34 journaled in bearings of the main frame, and is of the hook shape shown, the interior curve i, permitting the end of this arm to be thrown backover the roller 32 under the stress of the spring 40, when that roller runs out of engagement with the end I), of the arm. A blocking arm 37 is attached to the rockshaft 34 of which the end a, may

be thrown into or out of the path of rotation of the ends h, h, of the dogs 62, 62, by means of an expansive spring 40, carried on rod 38 which is hooked into an eye of arm 37, and, passing through an abutment lug 39 on the frame, takes on the adjusting nut to, by means of which the tension of the spring may be regulated. The drop-limit of'this arm is the top edge of the lug 39, so that when it rests thereon, its end a, will be in correct position to engage the upper corner of the facet h, of one or the other of the clutch dogs 62, as

they are carried around by the disk 44.

Means for stopping the packers in definite position below the binding dech.For the purpose of holding the packer arms and the cranks upon which they are hung firm and steady to prevent noise and recoil or a tend ency on the part of the cranks to work backwardly which would carry the point of one of the packer arms above the deck where it would obstruct the current of infl owing straw, during the operation of binding and discharging the bundle, the edge of disk 44 has two ratchet teeth y, y, with which a retaining claw cooperates in the following man ner :This claw is loosely pivoted on the shaft 34, as seen in Fig. 9, and a spring rod 7 4, hooks into it and extends down through the lug 39 of the main frame. An expansive spring 7 5 passes over this rod and is held thereon by an adjusting nut '12.

ing this nut. The normal strain of this spring tends to draw the hook c, of the claw down against the edge of the disk 44 so that as the teeth y, y, pass under it it will drop down over them and thus prevent a backward. or recoil movement of the packer cranks. Inasmuch as motion in the opposite direction is prevented by the block of arm 87 against the dog 62, it is plain that the cranks are positively locked in the position seen in Fig. 8 under the deck with the points of the packer arms out of the way of the inflowing grain. In practice both the retaining claw and the blocking arm 37 should be lifted at the same time which is effected. by means of the upper edge of arm 37 engaging the overhanging lip 36 of the retaining claw and thereby lifting that member as it rises thus simultaneously releasing the dog 62 and the ratchet disk 44. The several parts are so assembled, adjusted and relatively timed in their operation that the pitman 27 and the needle arm 30 will on their respective back strokes set the arm 61 to block the rotation of the gear 20, and the arm 37 to unclutch and release the packer shaft so that the binding mechanism will come to rest and the packing operation will be resumed at exactly the proper moment.

Operation of the machine.The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming that the machine is in the condition shown in The tension of this spring. may be regulated by screwing up or unscrew- Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which shows the relation of the parts preparatory to the packing of a bundle, it willbe seen that the blocking arm 37 and the retaining claw are both raised, which leaves spring 72 free to throw the dogs 62, 62, around so that the facets g, 9, will be in the path of rotation of the driving roller 43, which is connected with the main shaft. Rotation of the main driving shaft will then effect a clutch engagement between that shaft and the disk 44 on the crank shaft which carries the packer arms. The packers being then put into action will proceed to accumulate and compress the bundle until by its volume and density it depresses the tripping arm 57, until through shaft 58 and crank 59, the arm 60 is lifted. out of engagement with the dog 70, thus liberating spring 71, connected with gear 20, which acting throws dog 70 around and brings facetf, into the path of one or the other of rollers 18, 18,

which. are connected with the main shaft, whereby clutch connection between the driving and the knotter shafts becomes established through gears 20, 21, shaft 22, bevel pinion 23 and gear 24. Further rotation of gear 24 carries the wrist pin 26 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, p and thereby, through the pitman 27, crank 28, and needle arm shaft 29, starts the needle arm 30 and needle on its forward stroke. Being so started, roller 32 on bracket 31. runs out of engagement with the end I), of the rocker arm 33 and liberates spring 40, which being connected with the blocking arm 37, draws that arm down thereby bringing the end a, into position to be encountered by the end h, of one or the other of the dogs 62. At the same time the retaining claw 35, will follow arm 37 under the action of spring 75, and its hook 0, will engage the ratchet edge of disk 44. These conditions being established, fur ther rotation of the drivim shaft will uncouple it from the crank shaft by the dogs 62 encountering the arm 37, which obstruction turns both ofthem on their pivots, thus carrying the facets 1, 1, out of the path of the driving roller 43, and leaving the packers at rest. The design is such that concurrently with this disengagement of the driver 43 with the dog 72, one of the ratchet teeth 1 will, fall under the hookc, of the retaining claw 35 which, dropping, will lock the packer shaft against recoil backwardly, while the arm 37 prevents movement in the opposite direction. When the packer shaft is so locked the points of the packer arms 49, 49,

will stop just below the deck or in the position seen in Figs. 1 and 6. It will be seen that as the disk 44 is an integral, or substantially integral part of the packer crank. shaft, and for that reason the relation between the disk and shaft is a fixed one, that if the dogs 62, 62, which are pivoted on the disk 44, and the elements which cooperate with them are arranged to arrest rotation of that disk at a definite point, the packers will also come to rest at a correspondingly fixed. position, which in this case is with their gathering points below the surface of the deck, as be fore explained. When the packers come to rest the point of the needle will have advanced far enough to have divided the current of the inflowing grain or to about the position shown in dotted lines at 30, Fig. 1. From this position the needle" completes its forward stroke and recedes on its backstroke, just before the completion of which the roller 32 engages the hollow cam surface i, of the rocker arm 33, and forcing it outwardly, rolls shaft 34 and raises the blocking arm 37 which in rising engages the lip 36 of the retaining claw and lifts it, thus releasing the disk 44 and the packer shaft by breaking the connection between the dog 62 and the arm 37, thereby liberating spring 72, which, act- 43, which. puts the packers again in action.

Immediately following this action, the gear 24, in completing its circuit, through the pitman 27, forces crank 28 down until the arm 61 strikes the pin 60, of the tripping crank 59, and, turning this, sets the tripper 57 for the next bundle, and also draws down arm 61 by means of the rod 75,'until its heel p, strikes the lug g, which leaves the end 0, in position to intercept and turn backward the dog 70 when it comes around at its next turn, th ereby throwing the driving facetf, out of the orbit of the drivers 18, 18, thus leaving the binding mechanism at rest. From this point the operation of packing, binding and discharging another bundle is repeated.

I therefore claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following: 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a driving shaft, of a packer shaft co-axially arranged with relation to said driving shaft, and means intermediate said shafts for coupling and uncoupling them, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a driving shaft, of a plu rally cranked. shaft'co-axially arranged in relation to said driving shaft, packing devices operated by said cranks, and means connected with said shafts for coupling and uncoupling them, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a driving shaft, of a packer shaft, means for coupling and uncoupling said shafts, and means connected with and controlled by said packer shaft for gathering and compressing a bundle on the binding driven member on the packer shaft, and

means controlled by the binding mechanism for putting said clutch members into and out of engagement, substantially as specified.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a driving shaft and a packer shaft concentrically arranged in relation to each other, an intermediate clutch mechanism and means for operating said clutch to effect or dissolve a driving engagement between said shafts, substantially as specified.

6. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a driving shaft and a packer shaft, the end of one of which is hollow and carries and supports one end of the other as a bearing, clutch mechanism between said shafts, and means connected with said clutch for effecting or dissolving driving connection getlween its members, substantially as speci- 7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a binding deck, a packer shaft, packer cranks connected with said shaft, packing arms actuated by said cranks and hinged to the frame by movable pivots, a driving shaft co-axiallv disposed in relation to said packer shaft, clutch mechanism for coupling and uncoupling said shafts, and means connected with said packer shaft for positively bringing said packing arms at rest in a predetermined position beneath the binding deck, substantially as specified.

8. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with. the binding deck, bind ing mechanism, driving mechanism, and

acking mechanism, of arresting devices controlled by the binding mechanism for posi tively bringing the packing arms at rest in a predetermined position beneath the binding deck, whereby the packers are withheld from interference with the inflowing grain on the binder deck, substantially as specified.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two co-aXial shafts, an eccentric driving projection at the end of one of said shafts, a support and two dogs oppo sitely pivoted thereon on the end of the other of said shafts, a spring borne on said support adapted to swing one of said dogs, a link connecting said dogs, two contact faces on each of said dogs, one of which is adapted to be swung by the force of said spring into the path of said driving lug, a movable blocking abutment adapted to be moved into the path of rotation of the other of said contact faces of said dogs, engagement with which by either of said dogs will effect a turning thereof on its pivot and thereby break the clutch connection between said shafts, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. BEoKETT.

WVitnesses:

FRANKLIN SCOTT, WM. PORTMAN. 

